When the Curtains Drawn
by LittleTayy
Summary: The thought of another woman having his child made her stomach churn. She had been his wife. She had been the mother of his children. But now that was all changed, ruined because he'd had a meaningless one-night stand.
1. Chapter 1

**When the Curtains Drawn**

Leighton, Paisley and Aiden Helmsley stood awkwardly by Stephanie's side as they waited for the door to open. It was Friday evening and per the custody agreement they were going to spend the weekend with their father.

It was a fairly new agreement, so all three kids were getting used to the arrangement still. In fact all five people involved were getting used to the arrangement. It hadn't been so long ago that they were a family, all of them together but unfortunately, Hunter had screwed that up.

He had cheated on her, and broken her heart, when the little slut had announced she was pregnant. She had done it live on Raw and Stephanie could remember feeling sick to her stomach. She couldn't even look at him, giving him no time to explain as she escaped quickly from the arena. She obviously couldn't stay there.

Now as the door to his rented house opened, she couldn't help the pang in her heart at seeing him. He looked just as good as ever. Still like the man she loved even if she wasn't sure she could ever be with him again.

The thought of another woman having his child made her stomach churn. She had been his wife. She had been the mother of his children. But now that was all changed, ruined because he'd had a meaningless one-night stand.

She knew Hunter and his whore weren't seeing each other or together. That gave her some small comfort at the fact she wasn't being replaced. He was being supportive of her though, helping her out while she was pregnant and going to appointments. Even if she wasn't having his child this time, he was a wonderful father.

Her three precious children beamed up at their father and she couldn't help the hurt she felt in her heart. They didn't deserve this. They didn't deserve to live in a split home all because their father couldn't keep his dick in his pants. She knew it was affecting her girls that it was hard for them to only see their father every second weekend but she didn't know what she could do.

She was still hurt, her heart still fragile and his betrayal still fresh. She had never wanted to let him go but she couldn't take him back, not right now either. Her mind had wandered to the future; to the possibility of them getting back together but she didn't know if she could. He was a decent man, despite his unfaithfulness, and she knew without a doubt that he would want to be in his child's life.

And that was what would cause problems.

If, and it was a big if, if they were to get back together, Stephanie wasn't sure she could accept his child. It would be a child, a physical living-breathing reminder of his betrayal to her. She would have to see that other woman, have to look at her and know she had been good enough to tempt her husband. She wouldn't be able to see them interact without doubting his loyalty to her.

That child though, a part of him and that woman, it was innocent in this mess. Just like her own children were. But that didn't mean she could do it, it didn't mean she could be around that child without always remembering how he'd hurt her.

She sighed, shaking her head as she realised he was speaking to her. His words sounded as if he had asked if she was okay, and it was then she realised there had been tears in her eyes. A fake smile quickly found its way across her face as she nodded.

"I'm fine Hunter," she replied a little coldly before turning to her children. "I love you, be good and I'll see you Sunday," she told them before they scampered off deeper into the house.

"I'll drop them off around 4. Is that okay?" Hunter asked and she nodded her head.

"That's fine," she told him before saying her goodbyes.

They looked at each other for a moment, Stephanie desperately wanting to throw herself at him and hug him for all she's worth. But she didn't and she couldn't. Not now at least. Instead she turned quickly, making her way back to her car, determined to get home as quickly as she could and drown her sorrows in a bottle of wine.

* * *

It had been three months of the same routine. Every other weekend he would see his girls, he'd see Stephanie in the corridors at work or in meetings and he'd go to as many doctors' appointments as he could with Nikki Bella. It wasn't at all how he imagined his life would turn out but it was how it was now.

There was a knock on his door and he smiled; these drop offs really were becoming the highlights of his life these days. Even though they were still strained, the small snippets of conversation he got to share with Stephanie made him extremely happy. It hurt of course too, he could see the pain even now, when they talked and when she looked at him and he would never forgive himself for causing that.

He pulled the door open, trying not to look as eager as he really felt. His face fell only slightly though when he opened the door and there stood his three little girls but no Stephanie. Linda McMahon, his mother in law, was standing behind them with a blank look on her face.

"Hey girls!" He greeted, kneeling down quickly to hug them as he took their bags from them. He straightened up then, looking to Linda awkwardly for a second. "Linda," he nodded politely, "Uh…where's Stephanie?" he asked, trying to sound casual even though he knew he didn't.

"She was busy," Linda replied simply and Hunter knew he wouldn't be getting anything more out of the older woman.

"Right," he nodded. "So uh, I'll have them back around 4 on Sunday. Like usual," he continued, not sure what else to say. Linda only nodded, pursing her lips at him after calling goodbye to the girls and heading on her way.

Hunter shook his head, closing the door behind her and placing the girl's bags down in the living room. The three little girls already had the television on and playing with their dolls, Leighton, the eldest more focused on the tv then entertaining her little sisters. He moved over to them, squishing beside them on the couch and pulling Aiden onto his lap, letting her cuddle into him.

His gaze focused on the TV for several moments but he couldn't properly take in the program when his mind was still stuck on Stephanie. In the months that they'd been going through this whole routine she had always been the one to drop the girls off or pick them up. He was curious to know why tonight it'd been different, why Linda had been the one to drop the girls off and not his wife.

"Leighton," he called, drawing his eldest daughter's attention away from the screen, "Why did Grandma Linda bring you over tonight?" he asked, attempting to be casual.

He looked over at her, watching as her little brows furrowed as she turned to look at him. She was all of 8 years old and he could tell already that this was having a toll on her. His little girl had an attitude about her, one that she had never had before and it shouldn't have surprised him considering how much of a mother's girl she was. She was Stephanie all over really; from looks to personality and sometimes she would look at him and all he'd see was his estranged wife.

"Mom said she's going out but Grandma said she has a date," Leighton explained plainly, giving her father a cold look before turning back to the TV.

Hunter's heart stopped at the words and he felt sadness seep through his body. If it was true and Stephanie really was out on a date, he didn't know what to think. The thought alone that she was out with another man hurt but he also knew he had no one else to blame but himself if she really was on a date. In fact, it was no longer any of his business how she spent her time or where she went anymore.

But the simple fact of the matter was that he loved her. He loved her more then anything but that love meant absolutely nothing at the moment. Not when he had slept with another woman and gotten her pregnant. Sleeping with Nikki had been the biggest mistake of his life.

He and Stephanie had had their problems and fights over the years but he had always prided himself on the fact that he had never abused her and had never cheated on her. A drunken one-night stand though had cost him his marriage and his family, something he was never going to forgive himself for. He was lucky he even still had his job, though that wasn't at all high on his list of worries.

Hunter remembered the night everything fell apart clearly. Nikki had gotten him alone, away from Stephanie, and had told him nervously that she was pregnant. He had been confused until she had told him it was his and that she'd not slept with anyone else within the time the baby had been conceived. He regretted now the fact that he hadn't believed her that he'd dismissed her and walked away.

Only an hour after that incident his world had come crashing down around him. Nikki had announced she was pregnant and suspected he was the father live on Raw. His heart had beat into his throat and when he turned to look at Stephanie, to try and reassure her it was a lie, his face must have given him away. Her eyes had filled with tears and she'd called him a bastard before fleeing from the room.

He hadn't seen her again until he'd made his way home to their house in Greenwich. When he'd found her she'd been crying in their room but her sadness had quickly turned to anger as soon as she saw him. They had fought; yelling, screaming and several broken objects later she had told him to go as she pulled a suitcase from the closet. She had tugged his clothes off the racks, tossing them into the suitcase as she told him she never wanted to see him again.

Of course that had all been gut reactions and a week later they had sat down with their lawyers. He had of course been expecting divorce papers but instead Stephanie had had a custody agreement drawn up. The words divorce had not been uttered by anyone and it'd given him some hope that everything between them could be resolved.

He had held onto that hope that they could eventually get back together throughout this whole ordeal. Now however that hope was disappearing. Stephanie was on a date, she was going out to dinner presumably, with another man and that meant she was moving on. After almost 15 years of loving each other, she was going to move on and it hurt Hunter to think she could be moving on for good.

After their first marriage and divorce neither of them had gotten into a relationship. Meaningless sex and one-night stands were the standard for the both of them. It was why, now hearing that she was on a date, had his emotions going haywire. The thought of Stephanie and another man, even if it's just on a date, drove him crazy. He'd always been the possessive type and Stephanie was his, she always would be.

"You went on a date?" he blurted out, not sure if he was asking or telling her. He'd let it fester over the weekend, his emotions registering all over the place. The way he'd said it though, sounded almost as if he was angry, and by the look on Stephanie's face that was how she'd taken it.

"How do you know that?" she asked quietly, arms crossing over her chest as she stood and stared at him.

"Leighton told me," he replied simply, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Are you uh, are you going to see him again?" he asked out of nowhere, knowing it really wasn't his place but wanting to know anyway.

Stephanie sighed, glancing away from him as she spoke and Hunter regretted his words immediately. Why one Earth had he asked that? If she said yes, then it would confirm his worst fears. And if she said no, well it still didn't mean anything because she was obviously trying to get over him.

"I might," she replied tightly and Hunter pursed his lips, "Not that it's any of your business Hunter."

Hunter sighed, shaking his head, "I know. I'm sorry," he told her. He looked at her, saw the tears in her eyes and cursed himself for making her upset. He should have kept his mouth shut but now that he was speaking, why stop? "I love you Stephanie. The thought of you with someone else, with another man kills me. You're _mine_ Steph, you always will be," he told her almost desperately.

He watched her face go from hurt to longing to anger.

"The thought of me with another man kills _you_?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "How do you think I feel? To know you went out and fucked another woman? To know you're going to be a _father_ to another woman's child? It kills me every Goddamn day!" she hissed angrily, stepping an inch closer. "Yet no matter how much you hurt me, all I could think about on that date was that he wasn't _you_. You're it for me Hunter and I _hate_ myself for still loving you. I still fucking love you," she cried quietly, the tears finally escaping down her cheeks.

Hunter's heart stopped at her words before he stepped closer, only to have Stephanie take a step back. "Stephanie…"

"Please leave," she managed to say, shaking her head and avoiding his gaze once again.

The door closed quickly on him then and he sighed at having screwed everything up. She still loved him, she had said it herself, and he still loved her but it was obvious that things weren't that simple. He knew that of course but it didn't mean it didn't hurt to hear her speak like that.

He had well and truly fucked up, more then he had thought he did. He had been living off the assumption that everything would work out, that he and Stephanie could somehow get back together. But hearing her say she hated herself for still loving him? Well his hope was slowly diminishing. He had never wanted to cause her so much hurt and he didn't have a clue how to fix it.

* * *

Two weeks.

It had been two long, emotion filled weeks since she had last seen Hunter. Since he'd dropped their daughter's off and surprised her with his confession. Two weeks since she had given her own confession in return.

She had not been planning to tell him about the date. Her mother, her father and her brother had all pushed her towards getting back out there. They told her she was still a gorgeous, successful woman and that she was still 'a catch'. So she had reluctantly agreed to go on one date but her only stipulation had been that she would get to choose whom she went on this date with.

Jason Whittaker was a lawyer. He worked at a firm that had consulted on several legal matters for the company. His hair was dark brown and full, eyes bright blue and by any standards, he was quite handsome and quite the catch himself.

The date, she had to admit, wasn't totally unsuccessful. She couldn't help but compare him to the man she had spent almost her whole adult life loving though. He was reserved and polite, charming and interested. But when he laughed, his eyes didn't sparkle and his smile was a quirk of the lips, not the open-mouthed, teeth showing smile she was used too. His laugh was short and sharp. Unlike the uncontrollable bellow she was used too. That she _loved_.

She had spent the whole dinner with her mind on Hunter.

Everything about Jason was great. And had this been years earlier, 14 in fact, Stephanie was sure she could have liked the man. But all she'd been focused on was that he wasn't the man she loved and she felt _wrong_ being on that date with him. She had ended the date earlier then planned, apologizing profusely to the man, before rushing home and crying into her pillow for the night.

It had been two weeks and she knew she had to talk to him. It was something they should have done months ago but it was obvious they could put it off no longer. They both still loved each other but there was already too much between them now and she wasn't sure where it'd leave them.

All she knew was that they couldn't keep living like this.

* * *

_AN: I've been working on this for most of January as I was taking a break from writing my other stuff and this wouldn't leave me alone. This was originally a oneshot but it got quite long so I'm making it a twoshot. _

_I hope you enjoyed and please review. :) LT._


	2. Chapter 2

**When The Curtains Drawn **

* * *

It was a Friday night when Hunter heard a familiar knock on his front door. His brow creased in confusion because it wasn't his week with the girls and he didn't usually have visitors. Pulling the door open he was only semi-surprised to see Stephanie standing on his doorstep.

She looked nervous and he wasn't at all sure what she wanted. He hoped it was to talk but even then he wasn't sure that'd be a good conversation. He couldn't read her expression at all and it just made his stomach twist in knots.

"Uh, Stephanie?" he asked cautiously, curiously even, unsure of himself, "What are you doing here?"

She pursed her lips for a moment before speaking, "I think you know why. Can I come in please?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him.

Hunter nodded, opening the door wider for her, "Of course," he breathed, stepping aside. She walked past him and he couldn't help but let his gaze follow her. She was as gorgeous as ever; if a little thinner than she usually was and he couldn't believe he'd ruined their life together.

There was no doubt in his mind that Stephanie was the love of his life, that she's his soul mate and his other half. They were made for each other and he doesn't understand, even now over half a year later, why he cheated on her. It certainly wasn't because he had some uncontrollable, burning desire for Nikki Bella and he couldn't even blame it on drunkenness because he didn't drink.

No, the destruction of his marriage was because of his own vanity and ego.

Stephanie was enough, _is _enough, he reminds himself as he closes the door behind her. She always had been and despite their rocky first marriage, even then he had never looked at another woman or thought about cheating on her. He had always been faithful and he'd always prided himself on that fact, until now.

He can only put it down to a momentary lapse of judgment. But he knows there will be no excuse or reason enough for Stephanie and he doesn't blame her. He has nothing to offer in his defense.

He leads her silently into the living room, choosing to sit in the armchair and let her take the couch for herself. Hunter doesn't know how this conversation will go or what it's about, so he's giving Stephanie as much space as he can. She liked her space when she had something to say, when she was thinking hard on something, and Hunter could tell this was one of those times.

She settled herself down in the seat, glancing around the room. She smiled bitter sweetly at the picture hanging on the wall; one of she and Hunter and their three daughter's all smiling happily. She stares at the picture and it's a long minute before she turns back to Hunter, ready to talk.

"Hunter I…I don't know where to start," she sighs, shaking her head at her own words. "I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. But I don't know if we can…if I can," she continues to tell him, hands clasped tightly in her lap. "I want to forgive you and take you back. I want us to be a family. But you're having a child with another woman. A woman that, if I take you back, I will have to see every other week. And you'd have a child, a child that I'm not sure I can accept," she tells him, pausing to gather her emotions.

"Stephanie…"

"No," she shakes her head, bringing a hand up to stop him, "Don't interrupt. Please," she insists.

Hunter nods his head, realizing that she needed to get this out all at once. It was obvious that she'd been struggling with this very thing and it was something he was ashamed to admit, he hadn't thought of.

"You're a wonderful father Hunter and I know you would want to be there for your child. I could never ask you to give them up for me; I could never do that to you or your child. But I just don't know if I could see that child and accept it. I don't know what to do Hunter," she shrugged, being as completely honest as she could with him.

She felt horrible almost, for the way she'd spoken about that baby that wasn't even born yet, but that was how she felt. There was a difference between knowing and being told your husband had gotten another woman pregnant and then actually seeing and dealing with the other child.

Hunter sat and listened to her words closely. She had every right to feel the way she did and he also realized they did indeed have a problem. He knew he'd be having a child with Nikki but he hadn't yet thought about what would happen if he and Stephanie were to get back together.

He was stupid he realized, to think that Stephanie would have no problem being around the child he shared with another woman. This situation wasn't the same as if he'd had a child before they'd gotten together, no this child would be a physical reminder of the fact he had cheated on her. It would be even worse if the baby looked more like Nikki then him too.

"I don't know what to do either," he said eventually, looking at her with sadness in his eyes. "I don't want to hurt you more but…I can't not be a father to that child either," he continued, shaking his head as he realized once again how much of a mess everything truly was.

"Then I don't see how we can be together," Stephanie said quietly after several silent moments.

Hunter shook his head, moving from his seat over to the couch sitting beside her. She looks ready to burst into tears and it makes his heart ache. He reaches out his hands, taking hers gently and covering them with his own. It's a simple gesture but an intimate one; one they hadn't engaged in for months and Hunter couldn't help but want more.

"I want us to try Stephanie…please," Hunter whispered, ducking his head a little to catch her eyes.

The tears he saw in her eyes was too much and he hated that he was causing her to cry so much. If there was one thing in the world he hated, it was causing his wife or his daughter's to cry; something he was sure he'd caused quite a lot over the last year. His hand reached up to cup her cheek tenderly, using his thumb to wipe away her tears.

"Hunter," she practically whimpered, shaking her head softly.

"I love you Stephanie. You're my heart and I don't think I can live without you anymore. I know this will take time and work and that I broke your heart but I want my family back Steph. I want you back. _Please_. Please let's try again baby," he whispers to her hopefully, eyes locked with hers in a silent, desperate plea.

Her eyes were locked on his and she felt her heart melt but she couldn't give in. As much as she wanted to, as much as she _knew_ she still loved Hunter, she just knew this wasn't something she could change her mind about. Shaking her head she sighed, lips trembling as she tried to find the words she wanted to speak.

"Hunter," she murmured, voice trembling, "I can't. I love you so much. But this…this isn't something I can get over," she told him; tears pouring down her cheeks now as she tried to talk. "God, I wish I could be that woman. I wish I could be strong enough to move past it. To not let it affect me. But I'm not Hunter; I'm not that woman. No matter how much you and I both want me to be. I just can't do it," she murmured, shaking her head as she looked at her estranged husband.

Hunter watched her speak; listening to her words intensely and slowly he started to lose his hope. She didn't think she could work through what he'd done and the fact he'd have another child and it killed him. It killed him to know that he'd done this, all of this was his own fault and he couldn't even blame her for her reaction. Of course, he didn't want it to be this way, he wanted her back and he wanted their family back but he could also see how selfish that was. And he loved her too much to continue to put her through this whole ordeal.

"Okay," he whispered, jaw tight as he tried not to let his emotion show. He was upset, incredibly so but this wasn't about him right now. It was about the woman he loved, the mother of three of his children and his apparent, soon to be ex-wife. "I'm sorry Stephanie," he told her tenderly, a hand still cupping her cheek.

"I'm sorry too," Stephanie told him softly, leaning into his touch. She knew she shouldn't, she knew it was a bad idea but she didn't care at this moment. Leaning in, she pressed a slow kiss to his lips, letting him kiss back for several long moments before pulling back.

The moment was bittersweet as she stood up then, trying to gather herself as she moved out of his living room and out of the house. The tears were still streaming freely down her face and she wasn't sure she could stop them at this point. It was done, they were all over and she just needed to get out of there before she changed her mind.

* * *

_AN: So, here is the second and final part to this story. Finally. I'm actually thinking of making this a oneshot series. Well, this universe at least. I feel like there's some interesting potential with them in this verse, so we'll see how it goes. _

_I hope you liked. Please review! :) LT._


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